


cosset

by spookykingdomstarlight



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Presents, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Post-Pacifist Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 12:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17100215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookykingdomstarlight/pseuds/spookykingdomstarlight
Summary: Markus finally took a look at what it was Connor was wrapping. Toys mostly, a bunch still overflowing from a couple of huge boxes in the corner of the room, and that just made it even more mysterious. There weren’t a whole lot of kids in Connor’s life. Certainly not enough to justify the number of doodads, stuffed animals, and games that threatened to spill from the top.





	cosset

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the cute as hell [holiday prompt thing](https://detroitbecomehuman.dreamwidth.org/5644.html) going on over at the DBH DW comm.

“What are you doing?” Markus asked. The living room was a disaster. Well. Maybe not a disaster. The chaos, if it could even be called that, was definitely of the ordered variety. Rolls of wrapping paper leaned against the wall and the boxes that were strewn across the floor were, at the very least, in neat little rows, half of them wrapped, the other half left still undressed. But no matter how controlled it was, it didn’t change the underlying fact: Connor was sitting in the very center of it all surrounded on all sides by bright, curling ribbon in every color imaginable and scissors and tape and everything necessary to wrap gifts.

“Wrapping Christmas presents,” he answered, betraying no true explanation in his very concise, uninformative explanation. Because, yeah. It was perfectly clear to Markus that that was what was going on.

He should have known better. Words were important and Connor more than most valued the power of them. The wrong word during an investigation or interrogation could mean life or death, a solved case or an unsolved one. Besides, he had a rather bad habit of only answering precisely what was asked if he wasn’t in the mood to answer with the truth or respond to the question that was really being asked. So Markus adjusted. “Why?”

Androids, on the whole, hadn’t picked up a whole lot of human holiday traditions. They couldn’t eat or drink and, having once been considered mere objects themselves, gifts were still regarded with suspicion or disinterest. Some enjoyed the festivities, of course, but most just sort of went about their lives and came up with their own ways of celebrating the things they wanted to celebrate. Connor, as far as Markus knew, always fell into the latter category and didn’t really celebrate anything except maybe the close of a case and even then it was less a celebration and more a moment of relaxation and relief to enjoy another mission accomplished.

You could take the android out of CyberLife, but you couldn’t take CyberLife out of the android, he sometimes joked about himself.

Markus hated that joke, wondered where Connor even got it.

Pair of scissors in hand, Connor curled a thin strand of gold ribbon until it corkscrewed and completed the process on another piece and another until the top of the box he was currently working on was a corkscrewed riot of gold and green. “Why not?”

That was a fair question and as Markus stepped into the living room, skirting the edges to avoid making a mess of things, he tried to think up a good reason why he needed to know. Because he didn’t really. Need to know. He just liked to know things about Connor, anything Connor would tell him. But Connor didn’t volunteer much, though he was usually less reticent when Markus asked. It made Markus feel self-conscious, like it really should’ve been obvious to him why Connor would want to do this. But as Markus ran through the usual list of reason why people wrapped gifts, Markus couldn’t think of any that would actually apply to Connor.

About the only one Connor was even close enough to give presents to was Hank and Hank had nixed that years ago, back when Connor had made an attempt on Hank’s birthday and Hank had been gracious, polite by anyone’s standards, in saying _kid, I’ve got enough crap to last me a lifetime, you wanna give me a present, you finish filing my paperwork, we’ll call it good_. As far as Markus knew, Connor still did just that a couple of times a year even when it wasn’t Hank’s birthday. That just didn’t require boxes or shiny paper to accomplish.

Markus finally took a look at what it was Connor was wrapping. Toys mostly, a bunch still overflowing from a couple of huge boxes in the corner of the room, and that just made it even more mysterious. There weren’t a whole lot of kids in Connor’s life. Certainly not enough to justify the number of doodads, stuffed animals, and games that threatened to spill from the top.

Connor’s eyes followed his. Warmth softened them and he apparently finally decided to take pity on Markus, because he said, “There was a charity drive at the police station.”

Okay. That was something. At least Markus could see the shape of what must’ve happened to make this happen in turn.

“And there was maybe a little bigger response than anyone was expecting,” Connor continued. “I offered to help.”

That made sense. That was, in fact, very sweet. But… “Wouldn’t it make more sense if you were at the police station? Did you have to haul this here by yourself?”

Rolling his eyes, Connor nodded. “I did, in fact, try to tell Hank just that. But he and a few of the other officers wouldn’t hear it. They said I should be at home spending time with my family. So they helped haul boxes over and stayed for a while to help.” He shook his head and shrugged. “They tried to help anyway. Some humans aren’t very good at wrapping gifts, I’ve discovered.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Markus’s mouth. Family, huh? He liked the sound of that. “So are you gonna have to bring all these back yourself?”

“No, Hank said he’d be back by sometime tomorrow to grab what’s been done. I think the joke might be on him. My current estimate shows I’ll be done with what’s here in six hours.”

Markus picked his way across every open inch of floor in order to reach Connor. Connor, in turn, pushed aside as much stuff as he could so that Markus had room to sit. One hand on Connor’s shoulder, Markus crouched down. “What if we got it down to three?” Markus asked, picking up one of the smaller boxes still unwrapped and holding it in his palm. He wasn’t quite sure what the toy was, but it was bright and cheerful. It made Markus feel good just looking at it.

“I’d appreciate the assistance,” Connor said, “though I don’t want you to feel obligated. I don’t mind doing it.” His voice was warm and that in and of itself was enough to make it all worth it. There was a whole hell of a lot that Markus would do to make him sound that way.

“I didn’t think you did,” Markus replied, amused and fond, “but maybe I’d like to.” He’d never wrapped presents before, though the concept was familiar to him. It would be an interesting experience if nothing else. And it really was a nice gesture. But Connor was full of surprising, nice gestures. It didn’t always seem like it—he could get pretty wrapped up in his work, could be as cold and calculating as he needed to be in order to see it done—but he was sweet, too. One of the sweetest people Markus knew. “I feel like I haven’t spent any time with you lately anyway. This’ll be a good chance to rectify that, wouldn’t you say?”

Connor opened his mouth, probably to argue that he was at least as responsible as Markus, because that was always what he did, but it wasn’t true. His cases lately had been clear-cut, easy, getting him home at reasonable hours. It was Markus who ended up staying late organizing this, that, and every meeting, protest, committee hearing that happened in the city. At least that was what it felt like.

“I’m not one of your detractors on the city council that you’re trying to sway to your side.” Connor’s hand patted the floor next to him. “You don’t have to convince me with pretty words.”

Markus huffed. Embarrassment prickled in the back of his thoughts as he imagined how that would come across to Connor. It wasn’t his favorite way of behaving, might’ve left him feeling grimy, but it got the job done where it counted and that was the only thing that mattered to Markus in the end. “Is that what I sound like?”

Connor’s mouth quirked and he nodded, taking the box from Markus’s hand as Markus took the offered seat. “A little bit,” he admitted, returning the box to Markus’s care. He also handed over the pair of scissors and a roll of ribbon. “It’s a good thing I like the sound of it. Otherwise I might be offended.” There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he leaned into Markus’s space. “Besides, you make up for it by being you. I can’t exactly complain about that.”

If Connor was going to tease, then so could Markus. Looping his fingers in the open vee of Connor’s dress shirt, he pulled Connor as close as he could manage without toppling Connor into him. Not that he would have minded that overmuch. “Oh, I’m sure you could if you really tried.”

Connor tipped his head up, pondered the ceiling and hummed, thoughtful. Then instead of doing any of the things Markus might have expected him to do, he wrapped his hand around the back of Markus’s neck and brought their mouths crashing together.

The toy was almost entirely forgotten as Connor slipped his tongue past Markus’s lips, scratched his fingernails across Markus’s spine, curled his fingers into the collar of Markus’s shirt. Markus had enough presence of mind to put the gift box down, needing to put his hands on Connor, touch him the way he deserved to be touched, the way Markus wished they had more time to explore with one another.

One day. One day, they would. Until then, they could have these moments, these lucky evenings that they were both together, both available for one another.

And if it took four hours instead of the optimistic three that Markus had promised, Connor didn’t complain. Just like he said he wouldn’t.

It was totally worth it for the look Lieutenant Anderson gave them when when he returned the next morning, wholly and clearly unprepared for a houseful of perfect and pristine packages and the androids sitting on the couch waiting for him. “What in the—” he said when Connor let him in. He narrowed his eyes at Connor. “Have I mentioned how much I hate androids?”

“Not today,” Connor said, cheerful, settling back on the couch next to Markus, his hand finding Markus’s knee and squeezing. Markus still didn’t entirely understand the relationship between Connor and Hank Anderson, but Connor never seemed displeased to see him even when he said the sort of things he said, so Markus couldn’t complain. And for all that he was willing to give Connor a hard time, he was always kinder to other androids even when he didn’t need to be.

The lieutenant threw his hands up and scoffed. “You gonna help me get these boxes to the car at least?” Turning a dry look Markus’s way, he added, “Good to see you again, Markus.”

“Likewise, Lieutenant,” Markus said, pushing himself to his feet to help. It wasn’t that he begrudged the lieutenant his presence, but Markus was kind of enjoying the alone time with Connor and was looking forward to getting back to it. That meant getting the lieutenant out of here as soon as possible. “I’ll go ahead and help out.” When Connor tried to get up, too, Markus gestured him back. “You did most of the wrapping. I can get this.”

Connor settled back, dubious, but he allowed it anyway, supervised as Markus hauled box after box full of boxes out to the lieutenant’s car.

“How’d you guys manage it anyway?” he asked as Markus placed the last of the boxes into his backseat.

“Teamwork,” Markus said, dry, as the lieutenant rolled his eyes at the answer. He grumbled at Markus and thanked him and told him to thank Connor for him.

Markus was more than happy to do just that, though perhaps Hank wouldn’t particularly want to know the way he did it.


End file.
